Kiwi

Actinidia chinensis, A. chinensis var. deliciosa

fruit

A 5- to 6-cm fruit of a vine from China, with brown skin covered in short, stiff hairs, and light green flesh radiating from a white core, dotted with tiny black seeds. Rich in vitamin C, it carries an enzyme, actinidin, that curdles dairy.

Origin

Yangtze valley (China)

Season (United States)

November to May · grows in your region

Preparation

Its skin is edible, washed and rubbed to remove the fuzz: it raises its fiber by half. The smooth skin of gold kiwi goes down even more easily. Its actinidin cuts up proteins: it keeps a gelatin from setting and turns a yogurt within hours. Add it at the last moment.

Molecules

Vitamin CIn small amounts, not counted Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vitamin K1 · Vitamin E · Potassium · Insoluble fibers · Chlorophyll

Did you know?

All kiwifruit grown outside China descend from seeds that reached New Zealand in 1904.